The comparison between 3D printing and injection molding is still under way.Manufacturers of 3D printers and 3D printing materials strive to achieve precision processing and detail of injection molding while enjoying the speed and cost-effectiveness of 3D printing.In a study entitled “Toward a Better Understanding of the Fused Deposition Modeling Process: Comparison with Injection Molding,”A team of researchers optimized the technological parameters of the 3D printed parts and compared them with the injection moulded samples.

The researchers used the PLA for 3D printing and injection molding samples.Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed on the samples, as was calorimetric analysis.

PLA has low thermal stability, so during injection molding, the samples were subject to major thermal degradation.The 3D printed samples did not suffer the same fate because the filament stayed in the nozzle for a short time.The researchers found that individually printed samples had better mechanical properties than simultaneously printed samples